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Our pick for start ups: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000-point
Signup bonus after spending $15,000 in first 3 months
Running a startup is never easy. You’re juggling multiple priorities at any given moment — including, of course, your company’s finances.
A business credit card can be your best friend for covering last minutes expenses. There are lots of choices catering to startups, so compare the annual fees, benefits and rewards to find the best card for your startup.
There are many business cards on the market, but it’s likely only a few offer benefits that meet your specific needs. Here are a few of our top picks.
Best for no personal guarantee
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | N/A |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Up to $25,000 worth of credits for business services like Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Zendesk and more |
| Rewards | 7x points on rideshares, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x at restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x points on all other purchases |
Best for travel
★★★★★
| Annual Fee | $95 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 15.99% to 20.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 15.99% to 20.99% variable |
| Welcome offer | 100,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months |
| Rewards | 3x points on the first $150,000 on travel and select business categories annually, then 1x after and on all other purchases |
Best for intro APR
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 0% intro for the first 15 billing cycles (then 11.99% to 22.99% variable) |
| Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 15 billing cycles (then 11.99% to 22.99% variable) |
| Welcome offer | $500 after spending $4,500 in the first 150 days |
| Rewards | 3% cash back on gas, cell phone services, and office supply stores and 1% back on all other purchases |
Best for average credit
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 26.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 26.99% variable |
| Welcome offer | N/A |
| Rewards | 1% cash back on all purchases |
Best for limiting debt
Categories include eligible airfare, US advertising purchases, US gas stations, US restaurants, US shipping and eligible US computing purchases. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
| Annual Fee | $295 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 14.24% to 22.24% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | 35,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months |
| Rewards | 4x points on two categories on up to $150,000 combined annually, then 1x points after that and on all other purchases |
Best for flat cash back
| Annual Fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter) |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 20.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 20.99% variable |
| Welcome offer | $500 after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months |
| Rewards | 2% cash back on all purchases |
We measured a few different factors when comparing available credit cards for startup businesses, including credit score requirements, introductory APRs, reward programs, points or cash back earned per dollar, reward earning categories signup bonuses and other added perks particularly beneficial to startups. The cards we highlighted demonstrated exemplary performance in one or more of these categories.
Our list stood relatively stable this year, with most cards maintaining strong performance and remaining top picks in their respective categories.
At the time of this writing, The American Express Blue Business Cashâ„¢ Card no longer offers an intro APR on balance transfers. Many issuers have been making tweaks to their cards as a response to COVID-19, and Amex seems to have followed suit.
Your startup’s finances can be simplified with the right credit card. Here’s what to consider to choose the right one:
If you’re successfully running a business, getting a business credit card may be worth your while. That’s because there are plenty of benefits you’ll get over personal credit cards. For example, if you use a business card instead of a personal card, you get the following benefits:
Your startup faces unique challenges, which some cards can address more effectively than others. Business cards are tailor-made to help you overcome challenges related to your business. If you don’t have a business credit history or if you have bad credit, compare cards for no credit.
If you’d like to compare more products, visit our guide on business credit cards.
